On-Prem User Guide Style Guide

Owned by Jessica Marshall
Last updated: Aug 18, 2021 by William
3 min read

Overview

This style guide is an example of what customer-facing user guides should look like and how they should be structured. It includes best practices for user guides as well as instructions on how to navigate Confluence to add macros and a table of contents to your page that will function both in Confluence and Jira Service Desk Customer Portal. 

Each user guide should have an Overview section, a Table of Contents, and an Instructional Section. The setup should mirror this guide. If you are making net new documentation, we ask that you use the User Guide Template (Select the dots next to the Create button and choose USF IT User Documentation in the 'Select Space' drop down).

Table of Contents

Structuring your user guide

Using headings

  1. Highlight text you want to apply the heading to
  2. Select the Paragraph drop down (see image below)
  3. Choose your heading (paragraph, Heading 1, Heading 3)

Heading Best Practices

  • Paragraph: Used for all instructional tasks and for tips, notes, and warnings.
  • Heading 1: Used for major categories/headings in your user guide (e.g. 'Scheduling a meeting').
  • Heading 3: Used for subcategories or subheadings in your user guide (e.g. 'Scheduling a one-time meeting' or 'Scheduling a recurring meeting').

Back to top

Creating links to the Top of Page Anchor

  1. Type 'Back to top' at the end of each section
  2. Highlight the Back to top text
  3. Select the Insert Link button (see image below)
  4. Select Advanced from the menu on the left
  5. Type #Top
  6. Select Insert


Section Best Practices

  • Back to top should appear at the end of each section (Heading 1 and Heading 3) so users have easy access to the TOC.
  • Check that your return to top links are working by using preview mode (see Final Check).

Back to top


Formatting user guide instructions

Writing step-by-step instructions

  1. Select the Numbered List button (see image below)
  2. Write instructions
  3. Bold and capitalize the Name of buttons and other options that the user is instructed to select


Writing Instructions Best Practices

  • Instructions throughout the user guide must start with a verb and be concise and succinct.
  • Draw attention to all items that are selectable (buttons, icons, etc.) by using directionals (i.e. upper left, lower right, etc.) or pictures.
  • Images should appear under the step that refers to the and "(see image below)" should be written in instructions.

Back to top

Adding a tips, notes, or warnings macro

  1. Select on the Plus Sign drop down (see image below)
  2. Select the Other Macros option
  3. Type tip, note, or warnings into the search bar
  4. Select the macro from the results
  5. Type the title of the tip, warning, or note
  6. Select Insert
  7. Type information within the tip, warning, or note space

Back to top

Editing a tips, notes, or warnings macro

  1. Select the icon beside the title of the tip, note, or warning
  2. Select the Edit button
  3. Select the Save button when done

Back to top

Removing a tips, notes, or warnings macro

  1. Select the icon beside the title of the tip, note, or warning
  2. Select the Remove button


Tips, Notes, and Warnings Best Practices

  • Tips: Use this macro for helpful troubleshooting tips.
  • Notes: Use this macro for reminders of important information that users often overlook.
  • Warnings: Use this macro to warn users of actions that can lead to poor results.


Back to top


Using pictures in a user guide

Inserting pictures

  1. Select the Insert Files button (see image below)
  2. Select the Upload Files button
  3. Upload your .png or .jpg
  4. Select the Insert button
  5. Select the Border button


Image Treatments

  • Be consistent with how you draw attention to things in an image. If you use red rectangles (recommended), use them throughout your images.
  • Do not include more than 2 callouts for an image. This can cause confusion with your end-user, and they won't know which action to perform first.


Back to top

Sizing images in Confluence

  1. Select the image
  2. Do one of the following:
    1. Adjust the pixel width in the text box to the left
    2. Select on one of the sizing buttons located between the text box and the original button


Image Sizing

  • Size images so that they don't take up the whole page but users can also see what you are referring to without squinting.
  • Images should be sized no larger than 600px.


Back to top

Adding alt text to pictures

  1. Select on the image
  2. Select the Properties button
  3. Select on Titles located on the left hand of the pop up/modal
  4. Fill out Titles and Alt Text  with a short description
  5. Select the Save button

Images Best Practices

  • Draw attention to the items that are selectable (buttons, icons, etc.) by framing it with a red box (refer to the images in this Style Guide).

Back to top


Finishing your user guide

Making your Table of Contents

  1. Place  your cursor next to your first Heading 1 title
  2. Select the Plus Sign drop down (see image below)
  3. Select the Other Macros option
  4. Select on the Anchor macro
  5. Type the name of your anchor (i.e. Topic1)
  6. Repeat steps 1-5 for the remainder of your Heading 1 and Heading 3 titles
  7. Type your Heading 1 and Heading 3 titles in the Table of Contents space
  8. Highlight the first title
  9. Select the Insert Link button (see image below)
  10. Select Advanced from the menu on the left
  11. Type # and the name of the anchor you made for that title (e.g. #Topic1)
  12. Select Insert
  13. Repeat steps 7-12 for the remainder of your titles


Anchor Best Practices

  • Anchor names should be short, have no spaces, and be unique from one another (e.g. #Topic1, #Topic2, etc.).
  • Anchor names must be typed the same way they appear on the anchor when creating links.


Back to top